Rory McIlroy has set up his own foundation to help children's charities around the world.

Teachers and policymakers in Northern Ireland got a surprise Christmas present last month, in the shape of an enviable slot in international literacy and numeracy rankings. According to the study, Northern Irish primary pupils performed better in reading and numeracy than in any other English speaking country in the world.

The recent week-long closure of children’s charity Barnardos brings the fundraising crisis in the not-for-profit sector sharply into focus. In today’s world, the calibre of leader required for a not-for-profit and the level of commercial understanding they possess, must be at least equivalent to that of those leadership peers in premier division international commercial firms operating in their field, writes 2into3's Neil Pope.

By Carl O'Brien, The Irish Times, Wed Aug 15 2012. Many charities across the State are experiencing a double whammy of reductions in income just as demand for services is soaring. After expanding in an era where Government funding and public donations seemed plentiful, much of the sector is adjusting to an uncertain world where shrinking resources and survival are the name of the game.

A higher proportion of voluntary organisations have had a pay freeze than commercial companies, but the average sector pay rise was greater, says Charity Rewards By David Ainsworth, Third Sector Online, 16 September 2011

DOMINIC COYLE IRISH CHARITIES are managing to increase fundraising despite the recession, according to a new study published yesterday. However, the improvement is not evenly spread with larger charities, especially those in the international development and health sectors, doing better than others.